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Photograph by Jeff Kearns
Mayor John Statton smiled through most of his first State of the City address, but delivered a serious call for community involvement.
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Mayor issues a friendly challenge
Statton urges citizens and corporations to get a civic life
By Jeff Kearns
In his Jan. 26 State of the City address, Mayor John Statton exhorted residents and corporate concerns alike to take an active role in promoting community life in Cupertino. The mayor reserved a sharper tone for his message to companies.
"We have historically had positive relationships with our major corporations," Statton said. "But buyouts have shifted control to distant corporate boardrooms, and frenzied times have caused others to focus on the global rather than the local."
Statton, a former Apple Computer community relations manager and executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, said the furious pace of Silicon Valley life and the tech world aren't excuses for ignoring local obligations.
Using the Hanson Permanente cement plant as a positive example, Statton called on corporate leaders to get involved in Cupertino's civic life.
"This corporate isolationism from the local community leads to a more transactional relationship with the city," he said. "Too often the only time City Hall can get the attention of our major corporations is when they wish to develop land."
The mayor also told the crowd of about 200 community leaders that residents should "show up and play" by getting to know their neighbors and participating in local activities.
"Each of us needs to be an evangelist for community," he said. "It's your duty to get to know your neighbor. To do more than just wave when you leave the house in the morning."
One way to build community in a city that possesses no downtown and blends seamlessly into its neighbors, he said, is to provide a common shared experience for residents with events like fairs, festivals and Fourth of July celebrations.
Statton also urged voters to support the upcoming Measure A advisory vote on building a new library on the March ballot--a move that surprised some council members who said it didn't make sense to push a measure going to voters purely for advisory purposes.
"We have almost loved the current library to death. It's time to rebuild it so we can keep on loving it," Statton said.
Statton introduced his library comments by issuing a disclaimer that he was speaking only for himself, not for the rest of the council or the city. Nonetheless, Council member Sandy James said she objected to the mayor's use of a public forum to advocate the library measure.
"I feel very strongly that this is an advisory vote, and what I'm looking for is the community to tell me how they feel about potentially spending $22 million on a new library building," James said. "Until I have that very important piece of information, I have not made a decision, nor should I, in my opinion."
Council members Don Burnett and Richard Lowenthal said they were surprised--but not angered--by the mayor's stance. Both said they won't be making any pronouncements until all the votes are counted.
"I'm concerned that the council sometimes comes off as a group that makes up its mind and then asks for advice--especially with this library--and I don't want any part of that," Lowenthal said. "But John's core message about building a stronger sense of community in the city was really good, and I couldn't agree more. And of course we'd always like to see companies be more active in community events."
"I was surprised to see so much emphasis on the library, but other than that I thought it was a great speech," said Burnett.
On another note, Statton recapped the plans developed at the council's annual goal-setting session, including redeveloping Vallco, building a skateboard park and starting a Community Congress.
Representatives from the Sheriff's Department, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, local businesses, school districts, City Hall, attended the address at the Quinlan Community Center. Former council member Wally Dean, recently recovered from major brain surgery, was also there.
Statton's address will be broadcast on the City Channel (Ch. 26) on the following dates: Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 9 p.m.
A complete transcript of the speech is available at www.cupertinocourier.com/mayor.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
